Motor pool will keep 15-person vans despite government report

After an extensive discussion with representatives from various academic departments on June 27, the UW Motor Pool has decided to keep all of the vans in its fleet available for rental.

The meeting to examine the safety of some of the vehicles in the motor- pool fleet was called in response to a government report that questioned the safety of 15-seat passenger vans.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released a report in 1997 that was not brand specific but instead examined seven different types of the 15-passenger vans, three of which are used at the UW -- the Ford Econoline E350, Chevrolet Express 3500 and the Dodge Ram Wagon Maxi-van. The UW owns and operates 32 of these vans.

These vans are available for rental to any faculty member, staff member or student who has a valid driver's license and a UW affiliated reason to use the vehicle.

The NHTSA report focused on rollover propensity for 15-person vans. The research was acquired from crash data accumulated in seven different states from 1994 to 1997. Data from Washington state was not used in the study. The assertion the NHTSA report made was that rollover danger increases significantly when vans are fully loaded with passengers.

Technically, a rollover is when the vehicle turns onto its top or side at least once during an accident.

The UW Motor Pool operations department has responded to the report two fold. First, the motor pool conducted the focus group meeting to decide the fate of the 15-passenger van at the UW. Second, the motor pool amended its policy on minors riding in vans that carry more than 10 people, including the driver.

The amendment regarding minors (persons under the age of 18) stipulates any group that wants to transport a student under the age of 18 will have to take alternate transportation. This will affect field trips and club excursions.

According to the UW Motor Pool Web site, "Minors participating in UW-sponsored programs shall be transported in outside rental-agency vehicles which transport 10 or fewer people, including the driver."

The NHTSA report indicates that rollover propensity is highly dependant on the number of passengers in the van. When five people or less are in a van, 12.3 percent of accidents are rollovers. When five to nine people are in a van, that number jumps to 20.8 percent, while 10 to 15 people raises the percentage to 29.1. And when 15 people -- a full load -- occupy the van, the rollover rate during an accident is 70 percent.

Though the study points to a 70 percent rollover rate in fully occupied vans, only 10 crashes were observed in the study. This is far fewer than the 1,815 crashes with less than five passengers observed in the same period of time.

Despite the discrepancy in the number of crashes observed, the government asserts in its conclusion of the report that "15-passenger vans might be more likely to roll over when fully loaded with occupants than when lightly loaded."

The statistical analysis was not the only reason the government made the assertion. Computer simulation predictions within the report illustrated the adverse affects a fully loaded 15-passenger van could have on its handling properties and rollover risk.

According to Elizabeth Cherry, director of the UW Risk Management, "There has not been any injury causing accidents involving (the 15-passenger vans)." She added that most accidents within the UW motor pool are of a minor fender-bender nature.

David Carr, manager of the UW Motor Pool, said the correlation between the release of the government report and the amendment of policy regarding minors is "mostly a coincidence," but added it was "a small factor" in the decision to amend the policy.

A new approach to teaching people how to drive the large van is being worked on by the motor pool, but those within the motor pool feel a comprehensive solution will be difficult to achieve.

"Different departments want different training programs, some of them want a real, hands on driving course, and others want a pamphlet," said Holly Campbell, program support supervisor of the motor pool.

Complicating the issue is the fact the motor pool will not conduct the training; it can only consult departments who rent the vans, so they can conduct their own training.

A pamphlet on driving the 15-passenger van is currently being drafted by the motor pool, and will be made available to departments by the beginning of fall quarter. Other than this publication, consultations on driving the vans will be done with departments on an individual basis.